


Icebreakers

by rosewaterwinter



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Best Friends, Crushes, F/M, Fluff, Gloria is more excitable than Hop and I'm not sorry, Hop is also OOC for half a second but we did it for the plot, Idiots in Love, No Smut, Pre-Relationship, Skinny Dipping, and there was only one bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-19
Updated: 2020-05-28
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:47:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23212759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosewaterwinter/pseuds/rosewaterwinter
Summary: When Gloria comes across a defeated Hop in Circhester, she suggests they spend the evening having fun in the city together. She's determined to cheer him up and get him back on his feet, but as the night progresses she may have to come to terms with the fact that she might actually want a little bit more than that.
Relationships: Hop/Yuuri | Gloria
Comments: 31
Kudos: 183





	1. Chapter 1

Gloria shivered as she hurriedly took the last few steps out of the snow and onto the paved streets of Circhester. She had stayed on Route 8 catching new pokémon for as long as she could, but it was starting to get late and she couldn't stand to be in the cold any longer. Though it often rained in Postwick, even the chilliest days back home were nothing like the icy cold she was experiencing here.

Luckily the Pokémon Center was the very first building she saw, located just a few steps away from the city's entrance. She silently thanked the city planners and rubbed her arms vigorously as she stumbled through the front door towards warmth — she really needed to get some heavier clothes.

As the nurse healed up her pokémon, Gloria considered her plans for the rest of the evening. She hadn't seen much of the city at all, but she had a room booked at a nearby hotel. It would probably be best to check in and rest up before her gym battle, which was scheduled for tomorrow. That would be the responsible thing to do, surely.

The nurse handed her pokéballs back, and Gloria couldn't help but overhear a conversation two backpackers were having at a table in the corner of the room.

"Bob's Your Uncle has some of the best comfort food in all of Galar. Everything is cooked over the flames of the chef's Centiskorch; it's incredible!"

Gloria's stomach rumbled at the thought of a warm dinner. It would be just as responsible to get a good meal as it would be to turn in early, wouldn't it? She could always check in to the hotel after dinner...

The words “fried” and “delicious” drifted over from the nearby conversation, and it didn’t take much else for Gloria to come to a decision — yeah, she would definitely be finding her hotel after getting something to eat.

She collected the rest of her pokéballs from the nurse, pulled her sweater tightly around her shoulders, and set off into the cold with the promise of a hot meal driving her forward. At least, that was what was driving her forward until she finally made it into the heart of the city. And then…

Whoa.

Gloria hadn’t expected a frigid place like Circhester to be so vibrant, so… full of life. It was cold out, but the weather clearly wasn't slowing down any of the city’s residents. People were out and about playing in the snow, walking the streets, and even selling ice cream. It was absolutely bustling, and beyond that, there was so much to see! Buildings and shops towered on all sides, and did the man that just walked by mention a hot spring!?

Gloria was amazed. She wasn’t sure what it was she had expected from the snowy city, but it certainly wasn’t all of this. She had travelled to many interesting places since starting her journey as a gym challenger, but none of them had even compared. Circhester was its own little winter wonderland, and it was absolutely beautiful.

She found herself wandering through the streets, awed by the cityscape and suddenly oblivious to the cold. She would find the restaurant eventually, but she wanted to get an idea of everything the city had to offer first.

Gloria spent the better part of an hour just taking in the sights and sounds of the easternmost part of the city. She was also lucky enough to come across a clothing store, where she picked up a warmer jacket and a pair of boots that were much more suitable for the snow. When she finally stumbled upon the Hero's Bath (the real name of the aforementioned hot springs she had heard about), she reluctantly made the call to come back later. Gloria wanted to spend some serious time checking out the place, and she needed to get dinner before it got too late. She asked the next person that walked by where Bob’s Your Uncle was, and was finally pointed in the right direction.

The restaurant wasn’t too far from the springs, but by the time she arrived her stomach was growling with a newfound vigor. She scurried inside, and was immediately met with a rush of warmth and the delicious smell of food grilling.

Gloria was promptly seated at a small booth in the corner of the restaurant. Her eyes raked over the menu. She hadn’t realized how eager she would be to eat something that wasn’t curry — would ordering one of everything on the menu be too much?

As she grappled with the difficult decision of what to order, the chiming of a bell signaled that someone else had come into the restaurant. Distracted, she glanced briefly in the direction of the noise, only to find a pair of familiar golden brown eyes blinking back at her.

“Hop!” She greeted the unexpected arrival of her friend with an excited smile and waved him over to her table. “What are you doing here, mate?” She asked. “I thought you would be a ways ahead of me by now.”

Hop looked away for a second, then turned back to Gloria with a pained smile. “The gym battle didn’t go so well for me.”

“Oh.” That wasn’t what Gloria had expected to hear. She knew that Hop had been feeling down lately, and the loss certainly wouldn’t make things any better.

She had her own gym battle coming up tomorrow, but despite that she wanted nothing more than to help him forget about his troubles. Hop was her best friend and he deserved to be smiling again, even if it was just for tonight.

“Well, don’t keep standing there,” she said, smiling up at him. “You came here to eat, so sit down with me.”

“Oh! Right.”

Hop took the seat across from her and grabbed a menu. Gloria couldn’t help but notice he was fidgeting even more than usual — he always had a lot of energy, but there was definitely something else going on with him. Maybe he was being especially hard on himself after his loss?

The waiter approached their table with a single glass of water, halting as he reached them. His eyes flicked back and forth between the pair.

“My apologies, I didn’t realize this was going to be a date! I’ll get another drink for you.”

Hop turned a deep shade of pink.

“I’m not — we’re not — it’s…”

Gloria giggled as he fumbled over his words. The waiter didn’t pay him any mind, and moved on to take their orders.

It wasn’t uncommon for them to be mistaken for a couple when they were out together; Gloria had grown used to the assumption after so many years, but Hop never quite seemed to know how to deal with it. Seeing him flustered always made her laugh, which usually led to him getting more flustered.

Her friend’s face was completely flushed by the time the waiter retreated, and she decided to spare him with a change of topic.

“I heard the food here is incredible! I can’t wait to try it.”

He hummed in agreement, not really meeting her eyes.

For someone who was normally so talkative, he certainly wasn’t making this easy. She’d have to try a different approach.

“Have you checked anything out in the city yet? I think this is my favorite place I’ve been in all of Galar and I haven’t even seen it all yet!”

“Not really, no. I normally head to the stadium straightaway whenever I get somewhere new.”

Gloria shook her head disapprovingly, clicking her tongue at Hop. “I don’t know how you expect to become the Champion of Galar when you don’t even know what Galar has to offer.”

Hop seemed to perk up a bit at her remark. “What do you mean?”

“Well, the Champion is adored by fans from all over the region. It’s only fair that he’s familiar with Galar itself, especially as someone who is so important to the place. I honestly think that’s why they have all the gym challengers go on this whole journey.”

Hop stilled as he seemed to consider her words. The waiter returned with their meals (and an extra drink) and he hardly budged. He was definitely thinking about… something.

Gloria picked up her fork and began to dig in.

“So, what do you say, Hop? Think you’d like to go exploring Circhester with me after dinner?”

A familiar fire returned to his eyes. He clenched his fist tightly in determination. Gloria felt her chest tighten and warm in response to the recognizable gesture.

“Yeah, let’s do it!”


	2. Chapter 2

The moment she cleared her plate, Gloria sat back in the booth, shutting her eyes and placing her hand contentedly on her full stomach.

Dealing with the cold was totally worth it for that steak.

Gloria’s moment of peace was quickly interrupted by the sound of snickering from across the booth. She cracked open one eye to look at Hop, glaring at him for daring to make fun of her satisfaction. 

“Sorry, mate,” he apologized in between laughs. “I swear, you’re just too much sometimes.”

“Yeah, sure I am. But you can’t tell me that wasn’t one of the best meals you’ve ever had.”

The waiter delivered the bill on one tab, and Hop cringed. Gloria felt herself deflate a bit at his reaction. Being mistaken for his girlfriend couldn’t be that bad, right? 

Wanting to avoid dragging the waiter into an awkward situation, Gloria snatched the check and offered to pay the bill in full if, and only if, Hop would admit that the food was incredibly delicious and that her reaction to the meal was justified.

Of course, there was some incessant grumbling on Hop’s part, but in the end he obliged as always.

By the time they finally finished up at the restaurant the night had already grown dark.

Hop scratched the back of his head, looking up at the pitch black sky. “So much for sightseeing, eh?”

But Gloria wasn’t listening; she stepped out onto the stone road, completely enamored by the way the city had transformed in the night. While it had been a hub of activity earlier, everything was infinitely quieter now; infinitely more peaceful. The street lights reflected off the snow, making the drifts glitter like she had never seen before, and the white powder seemed to absorb every last sound. 

Hop took a cautious step towards her, snapping her out of her trance.

She turned to look at him, smiling brilliantly. “Hop, this is… this is incredible! I didn’t know the city could get even prettier!” Her eyes sparkled as they jumped from building to building. “I want to see everything again. It’s all so different now!”

Hop chuckled at his friend’s enthusiasm. He wasn’t used to being outdone in the excitement department, but that seemed to be a trend for this particular evening. It was all he could do to stand back and let her take him along for the ride.

“Alright, I’ll let you lead the way then, Glo.”

His agreement was apparently not necessary; before he could even finish his sentence Gloria had already grabbed his hand and started pulling him back towards the heart of the city.

Their first stop was the ice cream carts in the city square, which Gloria was way too enthusiastic about for someone who had just eaten an entire meal. She brushed off Hop’s insistent claims about being too full and the weather being too cold for something so frozen, and purchased an ice cream cone for each of them.

“This couldn’t have at least been the second stop? We just ate.” Hop continued to whine out protests despite the fact that he was already half way through his ice cream.

“I wanted to make sure we could get it before it got too late. It looks like a lot of the shops are closing up for the evening. Plus the streets are clearing out, and I doubt they’ll keep the carts open much longer when there’s obviously no customers around.”

Hop seemed satisfied with her answer, shrugging noncommittally and distractedly taking another bite of his dessert. Gloria smirked at him as he ate, and when Hop finally noticed he immediately held up a defensive hand between them.

“Don’t even start with me,” he said. “It’s delicious, and I’ll admit it this time even without you badgering me.”

Gloria let out a laugh at his response, and Hop broke out into a wide smile. She was thrilled by the expression; she felt like she was finally making progress on pulling him out of his slump.

The pair wandered around town for a while, Gloria reexamining the buildings and Hop stopping to appreciate them for the first time. They idly chatted about everything and anything; the gym challenge, their pokémon, and the adventures they had when they were apart. There was a lot to catch up on, but it was comfortable. Even though times had changed, their friendship felt just as familiar as it always had… well, familiar with the exception of Gloria’s chest growing a little tighter every time Hop smiled at her. 

The... feeling... had just started flaring up recently, and she wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that they were spending more time apart now. They were both taking on the gym challenge, and as competitors and rivals it didn’t make sense for them to travel together. Even if they were still best friends they needed to grow and train separately, which meant they didn’t see each other nearly as often as they used to. 

When she had seen Hop and his smile every day, Gloria had never really thought much of it. Now that he wasn’t around all the time, his smile felt like a small treasure for herself — and tonight, it felt even better knowing that she was the one bringing it to his face.

Hop cleared his throat, and Gloria was pulled out of her intrusive thoughts by the very man who was responsible for them. She looked over at her friend, feeling a blush rising in her cheeks and desperately hoping he wouldn’t notice. If she wasn’t mistaken, though, Hop looked a little bit sheepish himself. He rubbed at the back of his head and failed to meet her eyes.

“Gloria, you said everything here is prettier at night, yeah?”

Gloria’s blush grew even more furious. What in Galar did that mean? Her eyes bore into the ground as she kicked aimlessly at a pile of snow.

“Yeah, I certainly think so.”

Hop was fidgeting, shifting his weight back and forth as he often did when he was trying to hold something back. Gloria was growing increasingly nervous, waiting for whatever was coming next.

“Then…” He took a deep breath. “I think there’s something I’d like to see.”

Gloria did her best to keep her voice from wavering. “What is it, Hop?”

His eyes shone a little bit in the streetlights. “I… I really want to go back to see the gym.”

Before Gloria realized it, she was laughing out loud. Hop stared back at her with a confused look on his face, looking slightly embarrassed.

She had been ridiculous to expect that he would say anything unusual — Hop never changed.

Her nerves had completely dissolved, and just like that, things felt normal again. Without a second thought, she grabbed his hand and shot him a grin. “I’d be happy to go see it with you.”


	3. Chapter 3

Gloria hadn’t actually seen the gym at all yet. For the most part, from the outside all of the gyms more or less looked the same to her… though she wouldn’t dare tell Hop that. But he seemed excited to take another look at it, and that was enough for her.

Trudging up through the snow, the cold was finally starting to settle back into her bones. The new coat and enthusiasm could only do so much to fend off the chill, and by now the sun had slipped far behind the mountains; the night air certainly wasn’t helping. The warm steam coming off of the nearby Hero's Bath was looking incredibly tempting right now.

Hop, as energetic as he was, had already managed to scurry ahead of her. Gloria smiled to herself a little bit, enthused by his boundless energy when it came to anything that was related to pokémon training. When she finally caught up to him, her smile doubled in size.

The gym lights reflected off of Hop’s amber eyes, and tiny snowflakes lightly dusted his shoulders; he was _gleaming_. His expression was soft, full of hope. Hop stared up at the gym like it was something reverent, and Gloria looked at him as if he was the same. 

———

When Gloria could no longer stand the cold, she somehow managed to drag Hop away from the gym. She felt herself shiver. Though she didn’t want the night to end, it would probably be best for them to head back to the hotel. As they descended the steps to head back toward the town’s center, a light breeze pulled a thin tendril of steam towards them.

Gloria stopped in her tracks as an idea began to form in her head, and Hop nearly bumped into her.

He playfully nudged her back. “What was that for?”

Gloria slowly turned, smiling at Hop with a meowth-like grin. “Are you cold?”

He was clearly confused by her obvious question, but he nodded anyway.

“I just figured out the perfect way for us to warm up. Come with me!”

Before Hop could even respond, Gloria grabbed his hand and was running with him in the direction of the Hero's Bath. When they arrived in front of them, it was Hop’s turn to come to a grinding halt.

“Gloria, what? You can’t be serious.”

She giggled. “Come on, the Hero's Bath is amazing! I know you’ve heard the stories about it.” She walked further into the structure, sighing deeply. “I can feel myself getting warmer just from all the steam. And you can’t tell me it wouldn’t be amazing to bathe where the Heroes of Galar healed their own wounds.”

Hop had taken a few steps forward, cautiously following her in. She was making a convincing argument, until he realized — 

“Bathe!? How in Arceus’ name are you planning to —”

Gloria let out another mischievous giggle as she turned away from him, suddenly dropping her bag and coat in the snow.

“Gloria, what are you —” His voice caught in the back of his throat as Gloria reached for the hem of her shirt and began to pull it up. He instead let out a strangled noise that he _definitely_ didn’t know he was capable of making.

She was crazy. She had hypothermia from the cold, and it was making her crazy. That was the only explanation. Wasn’t she worried about getting caught?

Hop looked around nervously. Truthfully, they hadn’t seen another person in hours, and with the cover of darkness he could barely even make out Gloria’s figure from a few feet away. 

Hop blushed when he realized he was looking in her direction, even though he couldn’t really see her. Her outline made it very clear that she was no longer wearing any of her thick winter clothes.

“I’ll be going without you, then!”

With a few steps and a splash, Gloria sunk into the steaming waters. Hop stood at a standstill as he contemplated what he should possibly be doing in this situation.

Gloria’s contented sigh broke his train of thought, and he felt a rush of heat to his face.

“I’ve never felt so incredible.” She practically sighed the words. She had waded closer to his edge of the pool, and he could see her again. She was up to her neck in the water, and a rosy blush of warmth tinted her cheeks.

Hop fidgeted. “I’m sure you won’t be feeling that way when you have to get out and freeze, especially with wet underclothes.”

Gloria’s face broke out in the same wide grin she had worn earlier. “Why would I have to worry about that? I’m not wearing anything.”

Hop felt himself choke on his own breath.

“Are you sure you don’t want to join me?” she asked him again. The question remained innocent, but there was no doubt that she knew how it sounded after her last statement.

He shook his head vigorously. “No, thank you. I’m just fine with staying dry.” He was grateful that it was dark enough to hide his face. It was probably an unhealthy shade of red.

“Oh, alright. I suppose I’ve dragged you on enough adventures tonight.” She paused as she adjusted her position in the water. “It’s a shame Leon isn’t here, though. I’m sure he’d have been in the water in a heartbeat. Actually, he would have probably been the one to suggest it!”

Hop felt himself flush again, but this time it was out of something other than embarrassment. Hop had always looked up to his older brother, and had wanted to be like him in any way he could — but not when it came to Gloria. Gloria was Hop’s best friend, not Leon’s. 

As ridiculous as it sounded, she was one of the only things he had that Leon didn’t. Leon was the Galar Champion, his grandparent’s favorite, and the region’s hero. Hop was just Hop, stuck constantly trying to catch up to everything that his older brother was. But if nothing else (and there really was nothing else) he at least held the title of “Gloria’s Best Friend.”

Gloria had moved back to another part of the pools where he couldn’t see her. Hop took a step forward.

“That’s pretty bold of you to assume he’d even be able to find this place.”

Gloria’s laugh danced out across the water, and Hop smiled.

“Turn around.” He couldn’t see her, but he told her to anyway.

He waited until he heard movement in the water, then swiftly pulled his shirt off over his head. After a couple more moments and an ungraceful _splash_ , he was in the pool with her.


	4. Chapter 4

They soaked in the waters for the better part of an hour, splashing at each other the best they could while maintaining an appropriate distance and never directly acknowledging why they made sure to. The slight tension of the situation flickered in the back of Gloria’s mind, but she did her best to push it aside. They were best friends, and that meant that nothing between them could be awkward, right?

Getting out had proven that theory wrong almost immediately; though their clothes were on opposite sides of the Bath and the steam was thick in the air, the endeavor still led to a flurry of uneasy movements and apologizes as they both tried a little bit too hard not to look at each other.

Once they were fully clothed and (sort of) dry and warm, Gloria and Hop headed back towards the hotels.

Gloria spoke up first, unwilling to let any awkwardness linger. “I’m staying in the eastern wing of Hotel Ionia for the night, but I still haven’t gotten checked in yet.”

Hop nodded, suppressing a yawn with the back of his hand. “I’ll have to get a room there too. I hadn’t exactly planned on spending the night here, since I was aiming to complete my Gym Challenge and be on my way.”

With the mention of the Gym Challenge Hop looked dejected again, which was the exact opposite of what Gloria wanted. She slugged him in the shoulder playfully.

“Well it’s a good thing, then, otherwise you wouldn’t have gotten to spend this fantastic evening with me.”

Hop glanced over at Gloria, his expression softening almost immediately.

“I guess you're right, mate.”

Gloria turned her face down at the snow, fiercely trying to cool the blush that was rising in her cheeks.

A few short moments later, they passed through the grand double doors of the hotel and split off to talk to different check-in clerks. Gloria was grateful for the forced distraction, using the space to clear her head. She collected her room keys, and stepped into the hotel lobby to wait for Hop. Sure, she felt a little weird after the evening they had shared, but she would feel even weirder if she ran away to her room while he was still checking in. She silently reminded herself that they were still best friends, any awkward feelings aside.

Gloria had flicked through just a few photos on her social media feed when Hop finally walked over, rubbing his head with the back of his hand and looking sheepish. She shot him a questioning look.

Hop tried to smile, the grin not quite meeting his eyes. “It looks like they’re all filled up for the night. It is pretty late after all.” He shifted from foot to foot, fidgeting with the strap on his backpack. “I’m going to head just outside of town and find a place to set up camp for the night.”

Gloria glared at him, incredulous, and spoke without thinking. “Don’t be stupid, Hop. It’s literally freezing out.”

Hop looked taken aback. “I don’t see what other options I have; they said the west wing is all booked up too. Besides, Dubwool will keep me warm.”

Gloria snorted. “You can sleep with me, Hop.” She had spoken without thinking, and immediately had to fend off another blush. “I mean, you can stay in my room.”

She meant what she said, of course, but she hadn’t stopped to consider her words... especially in light of the quiet tension that had been simmering all evening.

This time it was Hop’s turn to turn pink. “Are you sure? I don’t want to get in your way or anything…”

Seeing Hop blushing gave her an unexpected surge of confidence. “Of course. What kind of best friend would I be if I sent you to sleep out in the cold?”

Hop’s nervous expression melted into a genuine smile. “You’re the best, Glo.”

Gloria turned away quickly, hiding her growing giddiness as she led them towards the elevators. “I know.”

———

Gloria let them into the room, and stopped almost immediately. Hop stumbled in behind her, thrown off by her halting yet again.

There was only one bed in the room. There was only one bed, because of course there was. Nine times out of ten, there were two beds in Gloria’s rooms, and of course, this was the one time that was not the case.

“You alright?”

Gloria nodded a little bit too quickly. “Of course I am, why wouldn’t I be? I just… realized how tired I was.”

“Oh… right.” Hop was fidgeting again. “I won’t keep you up.”

Gloria muttered something incomprehensible about getting ready for bed before rushing into the bathroom to change. She took a few deep breaths as she slipped into her pajama pants and a tank top. Why was this weird? Her and Hop had had sleepovers a million and 12 times as kids.

As kids.

But they weren’t kids anymore.

Gloria stopped.

At some point in their teenage years, Hop had started to change. She had known it for a while, but it was hard to pinpoint what was different about him when they were seeing each other every day. Going through the Gym Challenge meant that they were spending more time apart now then they had… well, ever.

Had he always towered a full head above her? Had his smile always made his eyes shine? Had being with him always felt like home?

Gloria felt her breath hitch deep in her chest.

Now, whenever Gloria ran into her best friend, it was easier to notice all the little details about him. Details she really, really liked.

Arceus help her.

She took a few deep breaths to try and steady herself before leaving the bathroom, but she wasn’t sure it had really helped at all. When she re-entered the main room, Hop was awkwardly leaning against the dresser.

He was dressed in sweatpants and a black t-shirt, which meant he had changed while she was in the bathroom. If she had walked out while he… no. Gloria shook the thought from her head before it could finish.

“If you want to throw me an extra pillow or something, I’ll sleep on the floor.”

His words ended her thoughts as quickly as they had come. She blinked at him, then glanced between the bed and her best friend. Letting him sleep on the floor made it feel like something actually was going on. If there wasn’t, then there wouldn’t be a problem with them sleeping in the same bed, right?

Hop blinked back, clearly uncertain.

“You don’t have to do that, Hop.” Gloria chose her words carefully. “I know that it’s better if you’re well rested for tomorrow’s gym challenge, and spending the night on the floor won’t do you any favors.”

Hop’s skin turned a bright shade of red. “Oh, no! I couldn’t. I mean, I don’t want to…”

Gloria did her best to challenge him with her stare, unblinking. She sincerely hoped he couldn’t see through the cracks in her expression.

Hop sputtered a bit, out of words.

“Hop, we used to do this all the time when we were kids. The bed is huge. Don’t make this weird.”

She had said that, but she knew that she was bluffing. She just hoped that Hop wouldn’t notice.

“Right, of course. Sorry. If I… made it weird, I mean.”

“You didn’t.”

Gloria turned away, sliding into one side of the bed and making sure not to look back at her friend. After a few long moments, Hop got in on the other side. He moved cautiously, as if he was making a point not to draw any attention to himself.

Gloria was pretty sure they were both as far away from each other as possible, clinging onto their respective edges of the bed for dear life. She didn’t dare turn around to check.

The tension was palpable for a few minutes until Hop finally spoke up, catching Gloria completely off guard.

“Thank you for tonight, Gloria. I didn’t know how much I needed it, but I haven’t had fun like that in… ages really. Not since the gym challenge started, that’s for sure.”

Gloria smiled, feeling her body relax slightly.

“Of course, Hop. That’s what friends are for.”

She pretended not to notice his sharp intake of breath when she said the word friends, but the rest of his words had assuaged her enough to make her comfortable for now. It wasn’t long before she noticed how warm the room was compared to the rest of Circhester, and slipped off into a pleasant sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

The first thing that Gloria noticed when she woke was how warm everything was. It wasn’t unpleasant, but she definitely wasn’t used to hotel beds feeling so cozy.

The second thing she noticed was the weight that seemed to be pressing down onto her body. This also wasn’t something she would consider to be unpleasant, but it was certainly strange.

Regardless, Gloria was almost certain that she had never been more comfortable in her life. She let her thoughts slip away as she settled deeper into the covers, the weight above her shifting as if it was somehow urging her to cocoon herself even further.

She was more than happy to oblige, but the adjustment had caused her arm to become trapped somewhat awkwardly beneath her. If she could just flip over, she was sure that she would be able to wiggle her way into an even more comfortable position.

With some strategic wriggling, Gloria was able to roll onto her other side, a process which both freed her arm and brought her face-to-face with the very thing that was responsible for her glorious warmth and envelopment.

Er, face-to-chest rather. Face-to-... Hop’s chest, to be exact. 

Gloria tensed immediately, her breath catching in her throat as memories from the previous night came flooding back like she was being blasted by Inteleon’s Hydro Pump. She was desperate to know if Hop was aware of their current… situation, but the lack of movement and convenient childhood memories of her friend’s uncanny ability to sleep through nearly anything made it obvious that Gloria was currently the only one awake.

She was still pressed against him, stiff as a board as she debated how to best make her escape. She could try to move as quickly and quietly as possible and hope for the best, or maybe if she did something sudden that startled him, Hop would jolt awake without ever realizing what had happened? She felt a little bad thinking about it, but realistically it was no worse than the pranks that they played on each other as kids.

As she considered the best way to scare the daylights out of her sleeping friend, something warm and soft pressed down on the top of her head. Gloria had already been still, but she froze over completely as the pressure deepened slightly. After a moment it subsided, and something that she assumed was Hop’s head took its place and nestled atop her own. She allowed herself to blink, still paralyzed as she tried to process what had just happened.

Had Hop just… kissed her?

Gloria’s body very involuntarily erupted into heat, and that was all it took for her to melt completely. She felt like a Ditto, turning into a puddle of shapeless goo next to her best friend. What in Arceus’ name was happening to her? Better yet, why had Hop — 

“Good morning, love.”

Gloria was startled by the sudden sound of his voice, and after a beat of total silence it was all she could do to force out a choked, “What?” Before she could even finish saying the word, Hop was releasing his grip on her and sputtering to correct himself.

“I- I said good morning ‘guv.’ You know, like ‘guvnor’? Just something new, I figured I’d try it on for size.” He scratched nervously at the back of his head, his eyes fixated on the wall behind her. All signs were pointing to a terrible bluff, including the fact that him spontaneously deciding to call her “guv” first thing in the morning was just about the dumbest thing she had ever heard. On the other hand, though, it would be crazy if what Gloria had thought she heard was what he had actually said, so for the moment she was more than willing to believe him. There was no way he had said... that other word.

“O-oh yeah!” Gloria nodded a bit too eagerly. She wanted to be convincing, but she was definitely blowing it. “That’s what I thought you said. I’ve just never heard you say it before so I was just wondering why but that makes sense now so anyway good morning!” She was spewing words left and right, and now she was blushing just as furiously as he was — wait.

Hop was blushing? They were clearly both embarrassed, and Gloria didn’t know whether she should laugh, scream, or run out the door and disappear forever.

Gloria forcefully reminded herself that this was her best friend and she was being completely weird. She just had to change the subject, and everything would snap right back to normal. Hop usually acted like the frontman, but they both knew it was Gloria who always took the lead when it came to the two of them. Right now, all she needed to do was say something that would get things back on track for them. Easy peasy. She could do that, no problem.

Gloria said the first thing that came to mind without giving it a second thought.

“So, how did you sleep last night?”

She could have punched herself. Or died on the spot. Honestly, doing both was looking like a pretty good option right now.

Gloria felt the bed shift beside her as Hop slowly sat up, making her acutely aware of their proximity. She had just wanted to make him feel better after how down he had been, but all she had managed to do was make things incredibly uncomfortable. In all the years they had been friends, things had never felt so awkward, and she felt like a total screw up.

Hop took a deep breath beside her, and spoke in a low tone. “Actually, it was really nice. That was the best I’ve slept in ages, Glo.”

Her heart surged at the unexpected response, and she ventured a quick glance over at him. Hop was grinning down at her, looking earnest as ever.

Gloria sighed, and spoke without thinking a second time. “So, I didn’t completely ruin things then?”

Hop looked almost taken aback. “No, of course not! How could you have done that?”

It was Gloria’s turn to be sheepish. “I don’t know, I just... thought I was being weird.” She paused for a moment. “But I slept really well, too.”

Her friend blushed again, but this time he looked almost pleased with himself. “I’ve known you for years. I’m already well aware of the fact that you’re a total weirdo.”

Gloria grabbed the nearest pillow, chucking it towards Hop’s face. He held up an arm in a valiant attempt to block it, but missed, instead getting a faceful of fluff.

“Hey! I only said it because it’s true.”

She stuck her tongue out at him playfully, and just like that, things were back to normal.

Hop stretched lazily, finally rising from bed. Gloria tried to ignore the twinge of disappointment she felt as he walked over to his bag.

“What time is your gym challenge today anyway, Gloria?”

“Not ‘til later this afternoon. I’m a little bit nervous, though.” 

Hop looked at her curiously. “Why would you be nervous? That isn’t like you.”

Gloria grimaced. “I mean, I know you had a hard time with your gym battle yesterday, so I’m sure today is going to be the toughest match yet…” She hadn’t exactly wanted to remind him of his loss; the last thing she wanted to do was bring him down again.

“What, are you serious?” He looked incredulous. “What does my loss have to do with it? You’ve wiped the floor with me every time we’ve ever battled! You’re a far better trainer than I am.”

She blinked at him, caught completely off guard by his admission.

“Of course, you can’t tell Leon I said that. He’ll never let me live it down. And besides, I still have every intention of passing you.”

Gloria stayed quiet, still reeling from the sudden compliment. “Do you… do you really believe that?”

He groaned in mock exasperation, smiling at her. “Don’t make me admit it again. Of course I do, Glo. I never say things I don’t mean.”

The playful lilt fell from his voice as he spoke the last few words, and he broke eye contact with her as he repeated them softly. “I never say things I don’t mean.”

Gloria felt the heat rise back up to her cheeks. She was certain that they weren’t talking about the gym challenge anymore. “I know. It’s one of my favorite things about you.”

Something that felt like acknowledgement passed silently between them, and she made the choice to trust that quiet feeling. She smiled at him shyly, and he smiled back.

“You really think I’ll be okay, Hop?”

All too suddenly Hop was leaning down in front of her, grasping her face in his hands.

“I know so. I’ve gotta get going to my own match, but I’ll be waiting for you after you get that shiny new badge.”

He gave her a little wave as he headed out the door. Her best friend’s confidence was definitely back, if not tenfold. And the promise to meet up after the gym challenge? That was new.

Okay, so maybe things weren’t exactly back to normal, normal. But if this was the new normal, Gloria could definitely get used to it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn’t write in Hop taking the time to change (because I forgot and also who wants to break that tension???), so you know he absolutely just walked out that door in his pajamas and made it all the way down to the hotel lobby before realizing, then had to awkwardly rush off to the bathroom to actually get dressed.
> 
> Anyway, I’m not usually one for writing deep author notes but I wanted to say thank you all so much for the love and support on this fic! I’m sorry the last chapter took so long to get out, but I’ve been struggling a bit creatively with everything that’s going on. Despite that, every single comment and kudo has sincerely meant the world to me, so thank you. <3


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